Better Than Normal
by Nocturnal Introvert
Summary: Mabel Pines is known for her cheerful attitude and optimism, but when Pacifica Northwest finally takes her insults too far, will Mabel take what she says to heart? When Mabel starts to doubt everything that makes her who she is, only her brother can bring her back. One-shot.


_"Are you always this silly?"_

Mabel Pines slumped down onto the floor of her and her brother's temporary room with a soft thud. She lay sprawled across the wood floor for what seemed like ages but in reality was merely seconds, a million thoughts rushing through her head. Her head was down, her outrageously long, dark hair flopping in front of her face and covering it like a curtain. Although usually glowing with happiness, her face was twisted with hurt and confusion. She didn't even look like Mabel Pines. She looked like an entirely different person. She shook her head a few times, as if trying to assure herself that something wasn't true.

"Why am I always so silly?" Mabel asked aloud, her voice hardly above a whisper, yet said with so much emotion behind it that it nearly resonated through the entire room. This time, Pacifica Northwest had gone too far. Not only had she insulted Mabel, but also the people who Mabel cared about. Pacifica had insulted her friends and her brother. It wasn't really anything too mean, but it still made her angry.

When she and Dipper were in the town just moments before, Mabel had overheard Pacifica talking to some of her friends. Pacifica was the most popular girl in town, but it seemed like she had something bad to say about almost everyone. Even the people she called friends. But Mabel was not her friend, and the main topic of her gossip on this particular day, as always, had been Mabel.

"Maybe if Mabel could be serious for once, she'd actually have a few cool friends and wouldn't have to hang out with her brother or Lizard Girl all the time." The blonde girl had said, glancing toward Mabel with a cruel smirk. "I almost feel bad for her. It must be hard being such a silly little freak."

Mabel tried not to let Pacifica's words get to her. She tried to ignore it. But honestly, she was beginning to think that maybe Pacifica was right. Maybe she was too silly. Maybe it was time she finally grew up. She clenched her hands into tight fists, her long nails piercing into her palms. It hurt, but she didn't mind. At this moment, everything seemed to hurt. She was just so confused. She hated herself so much. And it didn't make any sense. She usually loved being who she was, but right now all she wanted to do was be someone else, someone completely different from herself. Mabel heard the stairs creak, and she quickly buried her head against her knees, her tears spilling onto her purple skirt and slightly darkening the fabric. She turned away from the doorway, attempting in vain to hide herself.

"Go away." Mabel muttered as she heard Dipper cautiously shuffle into the room. As he crouched down in front of her, Mabel didn't dare to lift her head from her knees in fear of meeting her brother's questioning gaze. She unclenched her trembling hands and wrapped her arms around her knees to farther cover her face. She didn't want Dipper to see her like this. She didn't want him to know how badly she was hurting, or how she was suddenly questioning everything about who she was.

"Mabel…What did she say?" Dipper asked quietly, his voice dripping with worry. He didn't hear what Pacifica had said about Mabel, but he was certain that it must have been her who said something. Who else would be cruel enough to make Mabel act like this?

After a few moments of silently sobbing into her knees, Mabel pulled the collar of her sweater over her face and finally looked up at Dipper. She could see him through the small spaces between the stitching of the sweater's fabric, but hopefully he wouldn't be able to see her face.

"I said go away, Dipper." She insisted, a bit harshly. She didn't realize her voice would sound so hostile. But behind her irritation, there was a looming cloud of sadness that was still audible.

A glimpse of hurt flashed across Dipper's face, but it was quickly replaced by pity. "Really, what could she have possibly said that made you so upset?" He asked, sounding a bit desperate. "Pacifica is always a jerk…But you've never responded this way." He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but he pulled back just before he did. She looked so fragile, like she'd fall over and shatter into a million pieces if he touched her. Dipper was not at all used to seeing his sister like this. She almost never let things get to her. Sure Mabel had her moments, but they were usually short-lived and almost instantly replaced by her joy and optimism. She couldn't keep the sun hidden behind the clouds for long. The only time she had been anywhere near this sad was when she had lost her pet pig, Waddles, in the alternate time stream. And even that was nothing compared to this. She looked like she was crumpling in on herself.

Hesitantly, Mabel pulled her collar down and looked up at her twin. Her eyes were still clouded with tears. Tears that were threatening to pour down her cheeks like rain at any given moment.

A wave of sadness rippled through Dipper's body as he saw just how upset his sister really was.

"It's not what she said today that's bugging me. It's just…all of it." Mabel said quietly, suddenly sounding more like she was unsure of herself than hurt. She lowered her head, trying yet again to mask how she was feeling. But she knew Dipper saw right through it. She'd never felt like this before. So lost and confused, as if she was speaking her own language and no one would ever understand it, not even her twin.

Dipper delicately moved her hair from her eyes so he could see her more clearly. "All of what?" He asked her, trying not to sound too forceful so she wouldn't shut him out.

Mabel glanced up at him. All the years of telling him everything, hearing all of his problems in return, going to each other for advice, and being the only ones who could understand what the other was feeling suddenly dawned on her. Maybe she wasn't so alone after all. Maybe he actually would get it. Mabel let out a quiet sigh and leaned back against the side of Dipper's bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly.

"It's all the things she's ever said about me. Everything I hear her say when she thinks I can't hear her. Or maybe she wants me to hear…I don't even know anymore." She explained, shaking her head sadly. She had stopped crying at this point, but she still didn't look like her normal self. She looked like a lifeless shell of who she used to be, like everything that made her who she was had been stripped away. Like someone had taken the overflowing cup of joy inside her heart and poured it down the drain.

"She says such mean things about me so often that…I'm kinda starting to believe them." She continued. "Maybe I really am just a stupid, dorky girl who needs to get her silly head out of the clouds and actually…you know, be normal?" Mabel's voice was slowly fading out, getting increasingly quiet and pained as she spoke.

Dipper felt a sharp pang of sympathy for his sister. He never imagined that she'd actually believe the things Pacifica said about her. He never thought Mabel would actually take those things to heart. She seemed to dismiss the insults so quickly and continue on with her life, not ever for one moment caring what others thought about her. She seemed so confident in herself. After Pioneer Day, he thought Mabel had realized that it's okay to be silly; it was okay to be herself. But apparently Pacifica's words had lingered on in the depths of Mabel's mind.

Dipper scooted over so he was closer to his sister. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and whisper over and over insistently that it was okay, and tell her how much he loved her just the way she was, but he knew that it might not be enough to cheer her up when she was in this state. He knew that if he didn't act quickly, the Mabel he knew and loved might never be back. She might always doubt who she was, wondering if being 'normal' would make her a more likable person. Mabel had a habit of never letting go of the things that truly upset her. If it would have taken her more than a year to get over losing Waddles, would she ever get over losing herself? He couldn't bear to see such a kindhearted girl so broken up like this. He couldn't bear to see the sister he loved torn apart by some girl's cruel words. Dipper rested his hand upon one of Mabel's, his mouth set in a seemingly permanent frown.

"Don't do this to yourself Mabel." He whispered. "Who cares what Pacifica Northwest thinks? Sure, you're a bit… silly sometimes, but hey-that's what makes you Mabel. That's what makes you the girl that so many people love. Being 'not normal' is what makes you Mabel Pines." Dipper squeezed her hand gently, hoping she'd realize how true his words were, hoping she'd go back to being herself.

Mabel looked down long enough to stare into Dipper's eyes for a mere moment, a hint of a smile pulling at her lips, before looking right back up at the ceiling as if she'd been caught doing something wrong. For a girl was "always right about everything", she looked pretty unsure of herself.

"Sometimes I think that everyone is annoyed by me…" She stated, staring blankly upward once more.

Her sudden confession was so simple, yet it lit the spark that made Dipper feel as if he was set on fire with affection for his twin. He wanted her to stop acting like this and go back to how she normally was. It had only been a few minutes, yet he missed the Mabel he knew so much. There was no way he was letting Pacifica take the Mabel-ness out of Mabel. He grasped his sister's hand just a bit harder, and turned to look into her eyes. She glanced up at him, and as their identical brown eyes met something passed between them like electricity. Nothing could go unknown between the two of them. Dipper could feel all the sadness that was filling his twin's heart at the moment. He understood it entirely, and he felt just as torn apart as she did. It tore him apart that she'd actually believe what Pacifica said. How could she ever see herself that way?

"Mabel…You are the most cheerful, kindhearted girl in the entire universe. Some people might not like that about you, but have you ever thought maybe they're just jealous because they're not as happy as you are? Honestly, Mabel. You're such a great person, you have so many talents, and you're the best sister anyone could ask for. Even when things aren't going so great, you can always find a way to make people smile. You're great. And if anyone tries to tell you otherwise then don't listen to them, because they don't matter. And you do matter, so much…Not only to me, but to Candy, Grenda, Wendy, Soos, Waddles, and even Grunkle Stan. So many people love you just the way you are. Don't let Pacifica fool you." Dipper had no clue that he could ever speak with such confidence. All he did know was that he didn't want Mabel to change, he didn't want her to be normal, and he didn't want her to hold back all the things he loved about her to try to be something she wasn't, something that someone else thought she should be.

Mabel seemed to be in shock. She had been staring at Dipper the entire time he spoke, but now she glanced away from him for just one second, her expression as if something had finally clicked in her mind. When she looked back up at him, her eyes were pooled with tears again, but she gave him the biggest, goofiest smile she could manage. His words had crushed the boulder of doubt inside her heart into rubble, and tossed aside all her worries. She wanted to tell him just how thankful she was for what he'd said, but she knew she would never be able to find the right words to explain it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her head in his chest, nearly suffocating him. Once she loosened her grip on him, he let out a little laugh and hugged her back. They fit into each other's arms like two puzzle pieces, like they were made to be together.

"You're such a dork face." Mabel murmured, sticking her tongue out and poking his cheek affectionately.

Dipper never thought he'd be so happy to hear those words. A huge grin spread across his face.

"I'm so glad you're back." He told her.


End file.
